Union cross country signs Georgia standout

JACKSON, Tenn. - 1/19/2011 - The Union (Tenn.) University women’s cross country team has signed Whitney Sweet of Roswell, Georgia. Sweet will enter Union this fall as a freshman and will major in early childhood development as she works to become an elementary teacher.

Gary Johnson, the head coach for the Union cross country program says, “We look for Whitney to compete in our top-5 positions as a freshman. She is relatively new to running but has improved greatly during the past couple of years. I hope having strong teammates will help her improve even more. We have a young, strong nucleus to our team, which bodes well for our future. With our top-3 runners from last year returning, and the addition of Whitney and Audrey Hazlehurst, the future of Union cross country is looking strong.”

Sweet, at 5-foot-4, prepped at Roswell (Ga.) High School where she ran cross country and track. Sweet helped lead her cross country team to the Fulton County Title in 2009. She was also a state qualifier as a sophomore, junior and senior. Sweet earned Most Improved Award as a sophomore and junior, captain and Most Valuable Player as a senior in cross country. Her track awards included the Spirit Award as a freshman and the Coaches Award as a sophomore. Sweet runs a 5K time of 19:43. She also holds her high school's track record in the 4x800.

Sweet was a four-year member of the Beta Club.

“Whitney and her family are a great testimony to what Union cross country is all about”, says Johnson. “Whitney was looking for a school that had a great balance of academic prestige, spiritual emphasis, and athletic success. She will represent Union in all aspects of her life during her time at Union and we are proud to add to the tradition of outstanding student-athletes in our cross country program.”

Sweet is the daughter of Bobby and Barbara Sweet of Roswell, Ga. and is a member of the Crabapple First Baptist Church.

#UNION#